The huge continent of Kylasith is divided into five powerful and organized kingdoms. Orlos at the north with its fertile plains and rich fields, Ssskazzar in the west filled with swamps, lakes, jungles and brimming with a wide diversity of creatures, at east Kharazad Dham with its endless sea of sand and an immeasurable amount of minerals, at south its Yumiilut the land of mana and snow, with the air filled with the essence of life this place holds secrets beneath heavy layers of snow and ice and bordering the four kingdoms exactly at the center of the continent there is Virtus Arce a place surrounded by an impenetrable mountain range and walls made of pure iron, an underground paradise and one of the harshest places to live in Arbooria.
These five kingdoms are now at peace, achieved through many years of conflict and bloodshed. Maintaining this peace is a difficult task, through rough military power, each kingdom tries to stay on the same level as its neighbors to avoid being trampled and forgotten by history.
This constant need for military growth. Each kingdom developed different ways to satisfy its needs, creating a competitive way of living, which became the core of living in Kylasith. This pressure to always be the best, to always be strong and on top, forced the nobles' houses not to pursue the best for the kingdom; they now only thrived searching for a way to survive and show the lower classes how they needed them. Rarely does a commoner rise to the ranks of nobility thanks to this predatory system; the noble houses always try to hire those hidden gems or destroy those talents that could become a threat if they rise as a new noble house.
Alone in profound darkness, Manila stands in her old nightgown; there is no sound, no warmth, only the cold solitude that's so usual to her. A strange and deep version of her voice starts to echo through the darkness.
"It's not your fault to be born into this world, into this cursed family." A dark, rough voice spoke into her mind.
"I can't do anything about it, you know he is my father and I have nowhere to go."
"A father should not treat his daughter as a servant."
"I have no other use for him. What else can I do?"
"You are so much better than your siblings, in everything you do. You defeated that loser Luccio a lot, and he needs to vent on you using his position."
"It's just my luck, he can manipulate mana very well, and normally in our duels, magic is not allowed."
"He always had the help of teachers, and his mana is really at a low level compared to yours. Everything that you know about magic and mana was self-taught, and you still refrain from using this talent in front of that despicable man."
"What is the point of doing that? He will never acknowledge me, no matter what I do; you know my existence will be a secret." A fine red mist starts to envelop her, and the voice becomes more aggressive and filled with hate.
"You could just slash him and this entire cursed family, you have the power for that and no one would know that was you, because you don't exist outside this damn house."
"The knights would know, they would fear or even hate me…"
"Does it matter what they think? What did those worthless knights do to you? Those bastards did nothing to stop all the abuse all these years."
"They can't do anything. If they rebel against the archduke in any way, their families will suffer. The Felnatus family is powerful."
"So they are okay to be weak and let a 'precious' friend suffer so they can survive? You don't need them!"
"They…they are the only ones that still speak with me and appreciate what I do, their small gestures bring me happiness."
"They are using you! Like that worthless scum that doesn't want you calling him father! They only tolerate your presence because you are useful! The moment you lose your usefulness, they will abandon you and make the rips of your heart grow larger!"
"So that's what I need to do, I need to be useful to them forever."
"For what purpose?! To be whipped again? To feel your skin being slashed every three seconds, with agony and pain being the only things that would accompany you through that? Creating pain resistance to hold your screams so you don't give him the satisfaction of breaking you!? What is the purpose of your suffering?!" A moment of silence, before something she always craved for now becomes unbearable, unnerving, and so irritating.
"You have nothing to say now? Finally come to your senses?"
"Did you finish?" Her tone was cold and emotionless.
"You know I didn't, I can stay here for a very long time, showing the wrong way of your thoughts and actions, but no matter what I do or say, you are stubborn."
"Most of your words can be true, but if I follow your wishes, my life would become much worse. I don't have the power to change this reality." The hateful words seep into her mind, bringing doubts and insecurities, like a slow and deadly venom.
"You know, anytime you decide to react, you can always WAKE UP!"
"What?"
"WAKE UP, LADY MANILA! YOU NEED TO WAKE UP!"
"Time is up…"
The entire room became brighter, slowly the roof looked less blurry, and two faces were looking directly at her with sad expressions and tears. Boltu and Camelia, one of the youngest recruits who joined the Judgement regiment, one of the main knight houses of Felnatus Archdukedom. She is always near Boltu, acting as a secretary or squire to the burly commander. Behind the two teary faces, she could see the strong light passing through the shabby beige curtains. She tried to stand up, but it was interrupted immediately.
"No, no, you will not stand up, young lady." With his heavy hands, Boltu gently stops her.
"You were unconscious for five days. One of the maids noticed you were not in your usual spot at lunchtime and reported it to the head maid. She found you with a severe fever and hallucinating."
"F..five days? I…need to do my chores…master Mellorus will punish me." In despair, she tries to stand.
"You need time to rest. The healer checked on your condition. You used more mana than you should because of some reaction against physical pain."
"If it isn't for your great control of your mana, you would have perished from the wounds." There was a brief moment of silence and an angry sigh from Boltu.
"We know that Luccio is responsible for this, so I urged Mellorus to do something about his explosive and destructive manners. He agreed with me, and even if I don't find enough, it's a beginning."
"He will not be punished, as always." The bitterness in her voice surprised him. "He will always receive the special treatment as the heir, the headmaster doesn't care about the life of his subjects…"
Silence again. Boltu doesn't know what to say at this moment; he knows that his friend is becoming an unstable person because of the fear of losing his position as an Archduke. Something new started brewing inside her, something that she couldn't control, something that made her talk.
"He will be back the same, no…it will be worse and worse and no one will do anything to stop him again, the maids will continue to serve no matter what happens, the butler will continue to ignore my existence, the gardener, the stable workers, the knights and even the absent, cruel, heartless, spineless head of this family will bend over to his heir."
Those present in the room were horrified when Manila said those disrespectful words towards the Archduke, something she had never done. The bitterness, sadness, and anger in her voice made those present feel a small shiver down the back of their necks.
"L-lady Manila, you should s-." Camelia tried to interrupt her, but with no positive result.
"As always, this family continues to slowly walk towards the abyss thanks to the cowardly actions of its headmaster, four heirs, FOUR HEIRS, and he focuses on one of them, three rough talents, and he wastes time on someone so bitter and with a complex of inferiority." A tear fell out of her eye, and many others followed.
"Leave me alone now, tell the head maid I will resume my work later, and what is possible to do at night." Tiredness took over her body again, and she looked at Boltu with tears streaming down her face.
Without a chance to protest or say anything, she closes her eyes and waits in silence for Boltu and Camelia to leave the room. The one maid who was accompanying them leaves a trail with a bowl of warm vegetable soup and two pieces of freshly-baked bread.
The conscience drifted away, sending her into another long slumber, but deep inside her mind, many questions and doubts appeared. What was that voice that talked with her in that dark room? Why were the words that it spoke so compelling and worthy of attention? Why does the voice echo within her heart and make her feel something that she has never experienced with such intensity before?
Waking in the morning after a dreamless sleep, Manila ate the cold soup and stale bread next to her bed. Then she changed into her work uniform and began her day by delivering the utensils she used. Today, she took extra care to remain unnoticed.
Amarilla the head maid was walking in a hurry, she had a single mission, Amiliath the third daughter was looking for Manila after her brother was sent on an expedition as punishment, but no matter what time she went to Manila quarters she was not able to find her and this was making the lady grows impatient.
On the second floor, she enters a room with a white door ornamented with golden lines that draw beautiful creatures. Inside a large room, almost the same size as Mellorus' Office. The furniture was luxurious and reflected the owner's tastes. The head maid then approached a lady who was taking a sip from her teacup.
"Lady Amiliath, I am sorry, but I could not find her again." She said with an anxious tone.
"I see…Don't stop trying until you find her and bring her to me, or you're gonna be punished." She bowed with respect and left. After she closed the door, Amiliath sighed angrily, biting a piece of a cookie.
"Where are you? Why are you avoiding me now, Manila? That stupid Luccio crossed the line again." Having another sip of tea, she looks at the center window thoughtfully.